Professor Layton and the Companion
by Galadriadhar
Summary: Upon solving the mysterious case of the floating pyramid, Professor Layton finds something beyond his rational dreams...


"Luke, my boy, here is the answer," Professor Layton said, gesturing to the doorway in front of them.

Luke grabbed his hat in apprehension. "What do you think we'll find in there? We're at the bottom of a pyramid!"

Professor Layton smiled. "It's quite simple. Behold!" As Layton pushed the door open, Luke's jaw dropped. In the next room was a statue of a sphinx, surrounded by a network of mechanisms. The mechanisms seemed to serve no purpose, but as Layton entered the room, he saw that the mechanisms all exited through the room's ceiling.

"So this is what made the pyramid float!" Luke exclaimed, all apprehension forgotten. "All those mechanisms pushed the pyramid into the air and blended in with the sand!"

"Correct," Layton replied, examining a gear clanking next to him. "The only question is this: who built these complex mechanisms?"

Luke frowned. "The Azran, Professor?"

Layton opened his mouth. "It was not the Azran." Luke started.

"Professor, your voice changed!"

"That was not me…" Layton murmured, turning to look at the sphinx. The sphinx was blinking at Layton, a small grin on its face. It was seized by a yawn, and the gaping jaws of the sphinx showed teeth larger than Layton himself.

Luke gulped. "Professor? That thing's… alive."

The sphinx licked its lips and pushed itself to its paws. "Of course I am alive, child. You did not think that the Sphinx was a myth, did you?" It laughed. "No, the Sphinx is very much a truth. I am one of the last."

Layton was gazing at the sphinx, his mind racing. It was a beautiful thing, this sphinx. He felt as though the sphinx was his… No, not his. But it was part of him. How could that be?

He was roused by Luke poking him in the arm. "Professor, what do you make of it?"

A roaring sneeze rocked the room. Layton was unaffected, but Luke had to hold onto his hat. "Excuse me," the sphinx said, smiling ruefully. "I was not aware that so much dust had built up in this room."

"Madam," Layton said, walking toward the sphinx. He wondered how he knew this was a female, but promptly set his wonder aside. Nothing else had made sense to him since he saw the moving sphinx. "A man met a unicorn in the forest, but to his great surprise, it was filling out a stack of papers. The man asked the unicorn what it was doing. What was its reply?"

"A form for a unicorn uniform," the sphinx answered. "I have never heard that one before. Did you make it up on the spot?"

Layton shook his head. "I heard it a long time ago." He stopped and was overwhelmed by thoughts that were not his own.

The sphinx raised an eyebrow. "You feel my thoughts, do you not?"

"Are they yours?" Layton asked. "Thoughts of shifting sand dunes, tan snakes, and bonfires at night?"

"Ahhhh…" the sphinx sighed in happiness. "The clan gatherings were always something to make the blood flow. Alas," the sphinx continued, its countenance falling, "we are few now. There are no clans."

Luke's eyes were wide. "How do you feel its thoughts?" he whispered to Layton.

"I am not an 'it,' child," the sphinx said coldly, a hint of a snarl in her voice. "I am Unut-Thotha, the last of the Anotha clan of sphinxes. Watch your tongue."

"He meant no harm, Unut-Thotha," Layton said quickly. "But his question is valid. How do I feel your thoughts?"

Unut-Thotha sniffed disdainfully. "For you, I will disregard the insult of the companion to the flying gnats." The emotion drained from Unut-Thotha's face, and her eyes grew softer. "I am not the one to tell you. Go to Hescombe and you will know why."

 _Hescombe…_ Layton thought. _Well, I do need to visit Francis._

Luke scrambled out of the door that opened into the sphinx's room. Layton bowed. "I will keep this room secret, Unut-Thotha."

The sphinx gazed at Layton, looking into his eyes. "I know that you will," she said finally. "Do not keep me waiting."

* * *

Doctor Francis Brock, a retired physician, opened the door to his home at the knock. His eyes widened. "Hershel! Come in, come in!" As Layton entered Francis' home, the doctor closed the door behind him. "I've just finished brewing a pot of tea. Will you take a cup?"

Layton chuckled quietly. "You know that I cannot resist your tea, Francis. Lead on."

Francis led Layton into the kitchen and sat him down at the table. He took two cups from a china cupboard and deftly filled them from a whistling teapot. Handing one to Layton, Francis sat down heavily.

"I needed this," Francis mumbled, taking a sip of the tea. "Another Society meeting went on far too long. In the rain. I'm soaked to the marrow."

Layton nodded in sympathy. "I can understand, Francis. I just returned from Egypt, and, unfortunately, the Egyptians do not make tea like they make mummies."

Francis snorted. "That's one of the stranger similes I've ever heard, but it's very apt." He took another sip. "How was Egypt?"

Layton put his cup down, frowning slightly. "It was confusing, Francis."

The doctor set down his cup. "What do you mean?"

"I went to look into a mystery. An Egyptian official asked me to check on a floating pyramid. I found the answer, but I also found… more." Layton fell quiet, and Francis waited patiently. "I found… a sphinx."

Francis started. "A real sphinx? Living and breathing?"

"Exactly. It spoke to me. It… shared thoughts with me," Layton said. "It was a female named Unut-Thotha."

"Incredible…" Francis murmured, looking down at his hands.

"She told me to come to Hescombe to learn how she shared thoughts with me."

The doctor looked up sharply. "She did?" Layton nodded. Francis frowned and rubbed his chin. "I need to make a quick phone call."

Francis stood and left the kitchen. Layton stayed sitting, staring at his tea as indistinct voices floated in from the next room. He was still staring when Francis came back in.

"Are you ready to go?"

Layton glanced at Francis curiously. "Where?"

"To someone who would know what's going on."

* * *

Layton knocked on a door and, after a moment, entered the room. A brawny man stood behind a chair, chest puffed up.

"Inspector Grosky?!" Layton exclaimed.

"Ah, Layton!" Grosky shouted. "Good, good! Come sit down and I'll explain what I can!"

Layton walked over to the chair, noticing that there were four boxes, one at each of the compass points. "What's going on, Inspector?"

"It's 'Assessor,' now! Now! What we're going to do is a small test." Grosky went to each of the boxes in turn. At the north, he took out a crystal; at the east, a raven; at the south, a green lizard; and at the west, a white mouse. After Grosky took the mouse out of its box, he turned back to Layton. "Now, you will stand and hold your arms out in front of you. Then you will turn in a full circle. I'll keep watch! Now, go ahead!"

As Layton turned, the crystal, raven, and lizard didn't react. The white mouse, however, began spinning and dancing in place. Grosky's eyes were shining. "Marvelous!"

Layton stopped, facing Grosky again. Grosky's face was in danger of splitting in half. "Marvelous, Layton! Simply marvelous!"

"What's so marvelous?" Layton asked. Grosky wasn't paying attention, though. He was digging in a backpack.

"Ah ha!" Grosky exclaimed, pulling out a clipboard. "We just have a couple more questions! First, do you have any previous experience with animals?"

"You know many of my experiences, Assessor," Layton replied. "But I just encountered a sphinx in Egypt."

"A sphinx…" Grosky said to himself as he looked over his clipboard. "Great! Now… wait." He flicked his gaze to Layton. "A sphinx? Really?" At Layton's nod, Grosky threw his clipboard aside. "That's even more marvelous! You, my dear Layton, are a companion to the sphinx!" Grosky gave Layton a hard pat on the back. "Francis!" he bellowed. "Get in here!"

The door of the room opened as Francis entered. "What's the result, Clamp?"

Grosky laughed loudly. "Layton's one of us, Francis! He is a companion to the sphinx!"

Francis nodded, beaming. "As I wondered. Shall I explain?"

Waving an arm, Grosky went to pack up the four boxes. Francis turned to Layton. "Hershel, mythical creatures are real. You saw the sphinx, so there is some evidence for you.

"There are some humans that have a connection with mythical creatures, often a single particular creature. Yours is with the sphinx. That, Hershel, is how Unut-Thotha was able to share her thoughts with you."

Layton was reeling. _Mythical creatures… real? How can that be? But… I saw Unut-Thotha._ A small smile passed over his face. _That's right… The dragons, the unicorns of childhood fantasy. How often I wished they were real... I would have believed even if I hadn't seen her._

"What creature are you connected with, Francis?" Layton asked.

"The dragon."

"And what about you, Grosky?"

Grosky looked up at Layton's question. "Me? Ah! I am a companion to the unicorn! Such a majestic creature! My friends and I will race through the forests of Dartmoor, and I always win! I have learned so much from the unicorn."

Francis met Layton's eyes. "What is it? Do you believe?"

"Of course," Layton said. "I have seen a sphinx." He chuckled quietly. "Even if I had not, I would believe."

"You must keep this secret, Hershel," Francis warned. "You cannot tell anyone, not even Luke."

"I won't," Layton replied. Then he paused. Francis raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" Francis asked. Grosky came over, his curiosity piqued.

"I think Luke may be one of us as well. Unut-Thotha said that he was a companion to the flying gnats. Could those be pegasi?"

Grosky's eyes widened. A great laugh emerged from the assessor's throat. "Many of the mythical creatures call the pegasi 'flying gnats,' Francis! I have heard the dragons and the weather giants say as much!"

Francis shook his head in amusement. "That is correct, Clamp. Hershel, with your permission, we will assess Luke."

Layton looked from Grosky to Francis. He smiled. "I will find him."

* * *

Grosky furiously took notes as Luke turned in a circle. The crystal, raven, and green lizard had not reacted. The mouse, though, had reacted like it had for Layton. Luke had nervously answered the assessor's next questions and was now waiting.

"Layton! Francis! Get in here!" Grosky shouted. The door burst open to admit the doctor and the professor.

"What happened?" Layton asked.

"Definitely a Two-Four," Grosky replied. "And, as we guessed, a pegasus companion."

"What does that mean?" Luke questioned curiously.

"Remember the mythical creatures of your childhood?" Luke nodded in response to Layton's question. "They exist."

* * *

"Companion, you have returned."

"I said I would, Unut-Thotha."

"I know."

"Have you heard this one? A man walked into a library…"

A/N: Inspired by Julia Golding's _The Companions Quartet_ and the Professor Layton games. I wondered what would be Layton's companion species. This is the product of my wonderings.


End file.
